Mail order braces are a relatively new type of orthodontic treatment that is available online. Many companies offer these braces to people who have problems such as overbites, underbites, crossbites, gaps, and other issues. Many people try these products because of their seemingly affordable prices and their ability to have them mailed to their home. However, these braces fall short in several areas. It’s always best to see an orthodontist up close and in the office. Here’s a little bit more information about the mail order orthodontics. Take your time reading the information so that you will know what choice to make when it comes to getting braces at home.

About Getting Do It Yourself Dental Braces

The alignment correction products that companies sell for braces at home are not traditional metal braces and brackets. Most of the time, these companies offer plastic aligners that may be similar to the Invisalign product. Because they’re only offering plastic aligners, there are a lot of complex situations that they cannot handle. The mail order aligner system is only for slight to medium issues. Any issues that are more complex than that should be referred to a skilled orthodontist.

How Braces at Home Work

As previously mentioned, not everyone is suitable for the mail order braces or aligners. An interested person will first have to order an impression kit and then take impressions at home of the teeth. If the company is reputable, it will send detailed instructions explaining how the person can take the impressions of his or her teeth. Once the prospective client is done taking the impressions, that person will mail the package back to the dental office or orthodontic office. An expert will review the impressions and any pictures that the person sends of his or her teeth. The specialist will be able to tell the individual that the person can receive the mail-order care or the do-it-yourself dental braces.

If the person is suitable for the treatment, then the lab will make aligners based on the impressions and send the first set of aligners to the patient. The patient will wear the aligners for the specified amount of time, and then the second set of aligners should arrive when that time is up. This process will continue until the treatment is finished. Treatment time varies according to the severity of the problem, and other factors such as mail delivery time and so on.

Can I Remove Braces at Home?

You may ask the question, “Can I remove braces at home?” The short answer is yes, but it depends on the type of braces you have. If you are someone who is receiving the at-home aligner orthodontic care, you would be able to remove your device at home. If you were using traditional braces, you would not be able to remove it yourself at home. You would need a skilled orthodontist to take those off of your teeth. The aligners can easily come off anytime that you need to eat, brush your teeth or just clean the aligners themselves. A lot of the aligners only have to be worn for 22 hours a day. So you have two hours every day to take them out of your mouth and do whatever you need to do.

Where Aligners Fall Short

The do-it-yourself dental braces and mail order aligner systems fall short in a lot of areas. It’s a decent concept for someone who has no transportation to the orthodontist or wants to save money. One problem with the mail order system is that the orthodontist doesn’t get to examine the patient physically. There are things that the specialist can see during the physical examination that he cannot see with the impressions. Also, they don’t do mail order X-rays. The only thing the patient sends is a set of impressions and some pictures that the patient took himself or herself. Orthodontic patients are not usually skilled photographers, so the pictures may not be that good. All of these things can cause the lab to create a set of aligners that are not as precise as they could be.

Secondly, the mail system is not perfect. A shipment can get held up, which mean the patient will have to wait on a second or third set of aligners. Timing means a lot when someone is using the aligner system. The individual needs to put the new aligners in when the time for the last set is up. Another problem that comes up with the mail order system is that if something is wrong, the person will have to wait for the mail again if he or she does not live close to a physical branch or location. Furthermore, the patient just doesn’t have access to orthodontic advice and immediate problem solving like the person would have if he or she just went into a physical location.

Visit a Physical Location

Mail order orthodontic systems are not bad, but they have flaws. It’s always best to come into a physical location and receive that personalized care from the orthodontist. The primary goal is to create the most accurate and precise system that you can get and reduce your treatment time but still get maximum results. In-person visits will give you way more advantages than trying to do it by mail. If it’s not possible for you to come into a physical location, then yes, by all means, order aligners or braces by mail and do the best you can.

Schedule Your Orthodontic Appointment

If you feel that you or your precious one needs orthodontic treatment, you can refer to Kyle R. Childers Orthodontics for care. The office has several treatment methods such as Invisalign, Sure Smile, traditional braces, and much more. The office has been in business for many years, and many customers have been delighted with the services. You can schedule a consultation by calling one of the offices, sending in a short form or completing an appointment request. The journey to straighten your teeth will start there.

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I obtained a Bachelor of Science degree at Southern Illinois University and then received my Doctorate of Medical Dentistry at the University of Kentucky. After, I attended the University of Tennessee to complete my Master of Science in Orthodontics degree.

I consider every minute of continuing education to be vital for my patients and myself. Staying current with the latest trends, techniques, and technologies within my field allows me to improve treatment efficiency and provide higher quality results for each person I treat.